Several years ago, Germany and France took an important step in the development of their ground forces. It was decided to merge the two leading defense companies into a new enterprise capable of creating and producing various types of equipment and weapons. In the future, KNDS must present a number of new developments of various kinds. Together with other programs, a project was launched to create a promising self-propelled artillery unit under the designation CIFS or Common Indirect Fire System.
The launch of the promising Common Indirect Fire System project ("General system for firing from closed positions") was preceded by a number of important events affecting the rearmament of the two armies as a whole. Back in 2012, the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and the French company Nexter Defense Systems decided to join forces to develop a new type of main battle tank. It was assumed that this machine in the distant future will enter service in Germany and France, replacing the existing samples. Subsequently, this proposal was approved by the military departments of each country. Now the new tank is being developed as part of a project under the designation MGCS (Main Ground Combat System).
The proposed appearance of the MGCS tank, on the basis of which the CIFS ACS can be built
To develop a promising tank, the companies participating in the project were united into an organization called KNDS. Such a merger, which took place in 2015, was supposed to simplify the design and construction of equipment. In addition, the new company was given greater leeway in the international market, since the search for customers and the sale of products can now be carried out without regard to the restrictions of German law.
In early 2016, a few months after the formation of the new company, new data on the MGCS tank were published. The public and specialists were told about its main features, and in addition, they showed a supposed image reflecting current views on the appearance of a combat vehicle. In addition, it was announced that a new self-propelled artillery unit would be developed along with the tank. ACS based on MGCS received its own name Common Indirect Fire System / CIFS.
In July 2018, it was announced that the CIFS project is receiving official support from the German and French Defense Ministries. The KNDS company and the military departments of the two countries agreed to cooperate in the framework of new programs for the creation of armored vehicles. It is assumed that the MGCS tanks and the CIFS self-propelled guns will enter service with the German and French armies, and therefore they must be developed in accordance with their requirements and wishes.
Unfortunately, the developer company or future operators are not in a hurry to disclose the details of the new project and disclose only the most general information. It is indicated that a new type of self-propelled gun will be created taking into account developments on a promising tank or even on its basis. In addition, it is reported that the deployment of a new self-propelled gun among the troops will begin in 2040. Other information of one kind or another has not yet been published. Perhaps in the near future, KNDS and its customers will delight the public with new data, but for now we have to rely on the available information and draw conclusions based on it.
First of all, it is necessary to take into account that the ACS of the new type will be maximally unified with a promising tank or even created on the basis of its chassis. Some of the features of this chassis are already known, while others can be established, knowing the features of other modern technology. Apparently, within the framework of the CIFS project, an armored combat vehicle will be created with the placement of a gun in a rotating turret. A similar technique of existing models is used by customer armies and has proven itself well.
ACS AuF 1 of the French army
The proposed appearance of the MGCS tank provides for the use of a classic layout with a central fighting compartment and aft engine compartment. It is possible that the self-propelled gun will be created by replacing the standard tank turret with a new unit with different equipment. However, it is also possible to rebuild the chassis with a change in the layout. It is worth recalling that the modern French self-propelled gun AuF 1 was built on the AMX-30 tank chassis and has a centrally located turret. The German self-propelled gun PzH 2000, in turn, uses its own front-engine chassis.
The project of the tank proposes the use of powerful armor for the hull and turret, supplemented by overhead elements. ACS, designed to work in closed positions, does not need such protection. Bulletproof booking will be sufficient for CIFS. However, the older German project PzH 2000 provided for the addition of such armor with dynamic protection.
The tank of the new type needs a high power propulsion system, but the exact requirements for the engine have not yet been published. It can be assumed that the MGCS chassis needs an engine with a power of at least 1500 hp. What the transmission will be is also anyone's guess. The main tank can get a six-wheel chassis with a suspension of one type or another, including a controlled one. There is reason to believe that a tank power plant can be used as part of an ACS even with a major restructuring of the hull.
Modern self-propelled guns of the armies of Germany and France are equipped with 155 mm rifled guns and are capable of using all shots that meet NATO standards. Previously proposed self-propelled artillery projects also used this caliber. There are currently no reasons to change the caliber. Most likely, they will not appear in the near future. Thus, the CIFS combat vehicle can retain the caliber of existing samples of different types.
For a number of understandable reasons, KNDS plans to develop a completely new weapon for the future tank. It is possible that the existing armament will not be used as part of the ACS. The goal of the project will be to improve the basic characteristics of fire, for which, first of all, it is necessary to use a completely new weapon or a modernized version of the existing one.
Modern French self-propelled gun CAESAR
We should expect the use of a long-barreled gun capable of solving the main tasks of cannons and howitzers. The name of the project stipulates only shooting with high elevation angles from closed positions, but it is obvious that the machine can be fired with direct fire, depending on the assigned combat mission. When using active-rocket projectiles, the modern self-propelled gun PzH 2000 is capable of hitting targets at ranges up to 45-50 km. The prospective sample should show at least similar characteristics.
France and Germany have some experience in creating guns with automatic loaders. It is quite possible that similar equipment will be used in the CIFS project as well. With its help, it will be possible to unload the crew, as well as increase the main characteristics. An increase in the rate of fire associated with the use of automation will provide a certain increase in survivability.
As part of the MGCS project, it is planned to create not only a cannon, but also new ammunition for it. First of all, the possibility of developing and producing guided projectiles with certain functions is being considered. The CIFS program can also be accompanied by the creation of certain shots for various purposes with specific features. The role of self-propelled guns on the battlefield is such that it may need guided projectiles with coordinate guidance or a reflected laser beam. Such products already exist, and in the future, new shots with improved characteristics may appear.
The fire control system is a key component of modern self-propelled artillery, and in the future - against the background of the development of counter-battery weapons - its importance will only grow. Thus, the OMS for CIFS should provide the fastest possible referencing on the ground with the subsequent issuance of data for shooting. In this case, the OMS must be connected to communication and control facilities to receive target designation from the outside or to transmit data to other consumers. Perhaps the CIFS ACS and the MGCS tank will be partially unified in electronic equipment.
According to the recently announced plans, the serial production of promising self-propelled guns of the Common Indirect Fire System type will begin in the late thirties, and approximately in 2040, the troops of the two customer countries will begin to master this technology. It can be assumed that as part of the Bundeswehr, this technique will first supplement and then replace modern PzH 2000 vehicles. The French army, accordingly, will receive reinforcement and replacement for CAESAR wheeled self-propelled guns. Older AuF 1s are likely to be phased out by then.
PzH 2000 Bundeswehr
The announced terms of acceptance into service suggest that the development of self-propelled guns will go with some delay in relation to the MGCS tank project. Recall that the design of the tank will start in 2019 and will continue until 2024. Then about ten years will be spent on testing, fine-tuning and preparation of serial production. The supply of tanks to the troops will begin in 2035. The CIFS machines will enter service five years later, which gives an idea of a possible timetable. Apparently, the design of self-propelled guns will begin only a few years later - for example, after the completion of the main work on the tank chassis.
There is reason to believe that self-propelled guns CIFS will be produced not only in the interests of France and Germany. Existing samples of this kind produced by these countries show some success in the international arms market. Promising products can also interest foreign customers. However, there is still a long way to the appearance of ready-made vehicles, and now it is impossible even to guess who exactly wants to buy new SPGs.
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Germany and France once again decided to create promising armored combat vehicles as part of a joint project, and for this they even merged two large companies. According to reports in recent years, such cooperation should lead to the emergence of a completely new tank and a unified self-propelled artillery unit. Development work on the first of the projects will start next year, and deliveries of finished machines will begin only after a decade and a half.
The two new projects look interesting, although the lack of information does not yet allow them to be fully appreciated. To date, at best, only the general provisions of future projects have been determined and only an approximate appearance of the technology has been formed. At the same time, information was sufficiently disclosed only on the tank, while there is no detailed information about the self-propelled gun.
The proposed appearance of the new samples, in general, meets the expectations from the technology of the distant future. However, this is not enough for the successful completion of the project. It is worth remembering that previous joint European projects for the development of armored vehicles ended without the desired results. For example, the result of the failure of one of these programs was the emergence of separate projects Leclerc and Leopard 2. Whether the new projects MGCS and CIFS will be able to go through all the necessary stages and start rearmament is not entirely clear. At the moment, the situation is conducive to optimism, but in the future it may change with sad results.
Development of a new tank for European armies will start next year. Later, the creation of self-propelled guns on its basis will begin. Thus, a few years remain before the appearance of a real machine - if the project reaches this stage. This means that the interested public and specialists have enough time to put forward their versions and discuss promising projects.
